The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-27
sTHEPENITENTIARY8
BOARD OF DIRECTORS DECIDE
To Burn Brick and Erect New Bnildlpy In
the Enclosure-A Difficulty Anticipated 4
ft When the Present Contracts Expire,
School Furniture Thought Of.

The Board Of Directors Of the State
Penitenhary met at Moundsvllle again
yesterday to finish up the business Of the
regular monthly session, which they were
unable 10 dispose Of at Wednesday q meet.
Ing. TWAS decided definitely yesterday
to put the unemployed convlcts at work
making brick to be used in the erection Of
the new building to be used as q mess
hall and hospital, az described In an ar.
ticle about the Wednesday meeting Of the
Board, published In yesterdays issue. A
good clay bank has been found on State
land only short distance from the prison
walls. The clay will be dug out and
taken inside the walls, where the brick
will be made and burned. It will REQUIRE
GOV, 900 or 100000 brick to build the pro.
posed building and the making OF that
number will keep the idle convicts en-.
ployed for several weeks. They will bs
put to work in few days, just as soon az
The necessary arrangements can be per.
iected.
The Board will have the convicts con.
tinue to use the north wing Of the main
building as mess hall until the Legisa.
ture makes m appropriation 10 fis up the
wing as cell room, for which purpose II
WAS originally constructed. 1t Ia hoped
that such an appropriation will be made
OF the next EeBsion. The idea Is to use
the lower floor Of the now building, the
mess floor, as a work shop or store house,
until such time as tho present mess hall
shsll DO converted into cell room.
The time Is not far distant when the
contract under which a number OF the
convicts arc now working will expire, and
the probabilities are that that number
will be added to those for whose labor
there will be no demand. Such at least
Is the opinion OF several OF the Directors
who base their judgment on the fact that
atthis mesting there we're o.bids received
for the labor OF the sixty odd prisoners
who are idle. One OF the Directors,
speaking Of the problem that the State
will be called upon to soiye ct no distant
day-that Of what to do with the unem.
ployed convicts in order to keep them
out OF idleness and under discipline, said:
"They will have to be worked at come.
thing, that Is certain, whether that work
comes in competition with the work done
by others or not. My idea Is, however,
to hunt up some clasa Of work for them
that will not enter into such COM
petition. Take the matter OF school furn-
iture for instance; as far as l have been
able to learn there Is no firm in this State
making that line Of furniture; Thousands
Of dollars 60 out OF the State every year
for furniture for the public school. Now
we have at the penitentiary the best OF
facilities for turning out good furniture,
and with law paced by the Legislature
compelling Boards Of Education to pur-
chase their furniture from the State pen
the thing could be made to work."
The Board ut its meeting yesterday de-
cided TO advertise for bids for new tin or
iron roof for the main prison building and
it's wings. Tho presant roof is BADLY in
mead of renavpl